New Jersey City University

 

ORLANDO, FL…New Jersey City University pitched well enough to win twice, but couldn't get timely hitting with runners on base, stranding 15 runners in 14 innings, as the Gothic Knights were swept by Wheaton College (IL), 3-1 and 6-3, in a spring doubleheader during the Russ Matt College Spring Break Invitational at Tinker Field outside the Citrus Bowl on Tuesday. Each game was seven innings.

 

After starting the season 2-0, NJCU (3-5) has lost five of its last six games and four of those losses have come by a combined 15 runs. Wheaton, which won 10 games last year, continues to soar, opening the year 5-0.

 

In defeat, senior shortstop JOSE FULGENCIO (Bronx, NY/San Rafael (Dominican Republic) had one hit in the opening game and two in the nightcap to extend his two-year active school and New Jersey Athletic Conference record hitting streak to 35 consecutive games—the longest known active string in NCAA Division I, II, III or NAIA baseball. He also reached base for the 45th consecutive game to open his NJCU career. He has hits in 44 of 45 career games.

 

******************GAME 1: Wheaton 3, New Jersey City University 1******************

In the opener, NJCU outhit the Thunder, 5-4, but Wheaton jumped ahead 3-0 in the first two innings and the Gothic Knights attempt at a comeback was thwarted by defense.

               

Trailing 3-1 in the top of the sixth inning, freshman first baseman LEONARDO ACOSTA (Paterson, NJ/Paterson Catholic) doubled, and senior second baseman ANDREW DECIBUS (Carteret, NJ/Carteret) walked with two outs. Freshman third baseman TOM BURKE (Edison, NJ/Immaculata) scorched a line drive to deep right center field that was destined to land on the warning track for a game-tying double. However, junior rightfielder Josh Weaver (Franklin Park, IL/East Leyden) made a sensational, running catch of a ball over his head in the gap, and preserved the win.

 

In defeat for NJCU, Acosta was the lone player for either school with multiple hits, going 2-for-3, while Decibus walked twice.

 

Senior right-hander JOSE SOTOMAYOR (Jersey City, NJ/Lincoln) battling a bout of strep throat, gutted out a complete-game performance, striking out seven, with only one walk. He allowed just two earned runs and four hits.

 

Wheaton senior lefty Luke Munch (Winnebago, IL/Sycamore) did not allow an earned run and just five hits, with five walks and three strikeouts. Sophomore righty Tim Urbanowicz (Peekskill, NY/Peekskill) struck out the side in the seventh inning for the save.

 

Wheaton scored twice in the first inning when sophomore Brian Kolb (Carlsbad, CA/Santa Fe Christian) lofted a two-run homerun to left field. Freshman outfielder Josh Williams (Homewood, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor), who scored in the first inning on the homerun, had an RBI single in the second inning for a 3-0 lead.

 

NJCU got one run back in the top of the fifth. Senior centerfielder ROB SUMNER (Union, NJ/Union), who had one hit in each game of the twinbill to give him 164 for his career—just three behind matching the school record of 167 by Phil Zaffarano (1994-97)—walked, advanced two bases on a failed pickoff attempt, and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior leftfielder MARK HOYER (Irvine, CA/Woodbridge (CA).

 

******************GAME 2: Wheaton 6, New Jersey City University 3******************

In the nightcap, Wheaton jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, before the Knights applied pressure with two runs in the bottom of the fourth for a 3-2 deficit. But the Thunder scored three more in the top of the fifth, and despite a single run for NJCU in the bottom of the inning, the Knights stranded eight runners on base and dropped the 6-3 decision.

 

Acosta, who was 4-for-7 in the doubleheader, went 2-for-4 for NJCU, while Fulgencio was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Decibus (1-for-3) launched a 340-foot, leadoff solo homerun in the fourth inning—his first as a Gothic Knight.

 

Freshman third baseman Omar Vargas (Hollywood, FL/Hollywood Christian) was 2-for-4 with two runs, while Kolb added a 2-for-4 effort. Senior second baseman Matt Bradley (Wheaton, IL/Wheaton North) was 2-for-3 and senior catcher Nate Pugh (Cleveland, OH/Cuyahoga) added two RBIs.

 

Pugh had a two-run single in the second inning and Williams added an RBI single for a 3-0 lead. Decibus' homerun and a sacrifice fly by freshman rightfielder LEOMAR PAULINO (Paterson, NJ/Passaic Tech) made it 3-2. But Kolb tripled and scored on a wild pitch, and Vargas and Bradley each added RBI singles for a 6-2 margin. Fulgencio had a sacrifice fly for an RBI in the fifth.

 

Freshman righty Zach Fallon (Peachtree City, GA/McIntosh) earned hit first career win (1-0), allowing one earned run and three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Weaver, the defensive hero of game one, pitched the seventh inning for the save. Sophomore righty JOSEPH OLMO (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) took his first loss for NJCU (1-1), allowing three earned runs and five hits. Three other NJCU pitchers allowed four hits in 5.1 innings of work.

 

NJCU returns to action on Wednesday, March 12 at 11 a.m. when it faces Coe College (IA) for the second time this week at Pat Thomas Stadium in Leesburg, FL.